


The Magic Words

by orphan_account



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M, Pre-Relationship, R plus L equals J, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 16:36:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5832835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dame Lyanna Stark returns to the Auror Office after her maternity leave with a desire to speak with Ser Arthur Dayne, once her superior officer and now the man who knows all her secrets.</p><p>Set in a world where Westeros has Harry Potter-style magic (and other Potter-esque trappings).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Magic Words

Lyanna entered the creche with a heavy heart and her son clasped tightly in her arms, but it wasn't because she didn’t trust the septas who were tasked with looking after the Aurors’ children. It was simply difficult to part with Jon after six months when it sometimes seemed as though they were the only people in the world.

She gently placed him in the arms of Septa Ysilla before turning abruptly on her heel and marching through the Red Keep. She nodded to those she passed, or smiled, and she shouted a "hello!" to the two Aurors guarding the bridge to Maegor's Holdfast, which they returned. Lyanna's lips thinned as she heard a cry from the king's dragon (it had to be Rhaegar’s, Viserys and the Queen Mother were on Dragonstone), but by then she had almost reached the Auror Office.

Nearly three centuries ago, Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives had come to Westeros atop dragons. They had won the Seven Kingdoms, and like many victors throughout history, they had taken highborn hostages — hostages who Queen Visenya taught magic, if they had the ability to wield it, in the ruined castle of Harrenhal. Now nearly every highborn living under Targaryen rule could cast a spell, and they still went to Harrenhal for training.

Lyanna had graduated from Harrenhal eight years ago now, and she had joined the Aurors right out of school. Her father had protested. They didn’t arrange betrothals anymore, thank the Gods, because it was difficult to compel someone into matrimony when they had a wand in hand and knew how to use it, but there were _understandings_. Rickard Stark had then had an understanding with Steffon Baratheon and his son Robert, but Lyanna had no interest in Ned’s boorish friend. She had laughed in Robert's face when he declared himself in love with her before apparating to King’s Landing. There, she went through the rotations like every other Auror — Kingsguard, City Watch, and Night’s Watch.

That had come to a stop when she had fallen pregnant, and she had been stuck behind a desk until she gave birth. But Lyanna preferred not to think too much about the circumstances that had led to her son’s existence. They did not make her or anyone else look good, though Benjen didn't come out of it looking _bad._ The only two good things to come out of her series of mistake were Jon himself and a promotion to the Homicide Division, thanks to an unexpected opening and the lucky timing of her return to work.

And it felt lucky, returning to work at all.

The Auror Office was a hub of activity like always. Some of her colleagues called out greetings to her and asked after Jon, and she answered them in as good of spirits as she could manage. She did not linger for long, not even when cornered by Ashara Dayne, who wanted to talk about her current case.

Normally Lyanna would be glad to stay and talk to Ashara, who she liked as a colleague, a friend, and a prospective good-sister, about anything she wanted, but not today.

Her awkward excuses and pleas for urgency did not help move things along. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Ashara asked, amused.

Lyanna smiled. “I need to talk to your brother. There’s some business to wrap up before I start serving under Ser Jonothor.”

Ashara didn’t question her half-truth. “He’s in his office,” she said, and she pointed to the closed door.

Lyanna walked over, took a deep breath, and knocked.

“It’s unlocked!” Ser Arthur Dayne called. He didn't so much as blink when Lyanna appeared in his doorway, but he did give her a small, kind smile and leaned back in his chair. _He does not hate me, then_ , and that was a relief. More of a relief than it should have been, honestly. “Dame Lyanna. Welcome back.”

“It’s good to be back, ser.”

“Is there anything I can do for you? I understood that you had been reassigned to Ser Jonothor Darry, in Homicide.”

“I have. I only wanted to thank you, ser.”

His smile fell, but the ghost of it lingered around his mouth. “For what?”

“For pulling me from the Kingsguard rotation and for asking the king to legitimize Jon as a Stark.” Jaime Lannister had brought the papers to her when he came to visit the new mother at her apartments, and Lyanna had sworn never to tell anyone that Jaime had played with Jon for a good three hours while Lyanna took a desperately needed nap.

“I did ask Ser Gerold to pull you from the Kingsguard rotation,” he acknowledged, “but I had nothing to do with Jon’s legitimization. You had better thank Jon Connington for that, I think.”

Lyanna wondered why the Hand would care whether Jon was considered a bastard or not, legally, but Lord Connington _was_ fond of the Prince of Dragonstone. If Jon were legitimized as a Stark, Rhaegar could hardly later legitimize him as a Targaryen and thereby allow Jon to threaten Prince Aegon’s rights.

“If I see Lord Connington, I will certainly do so,” she mumbled, and Ser Arthur glanced away to hide his amusement. Lord Connington was a difficult man to like, and few did.

“How is he? Your son, I mean.”

“He’s beautiful.” The most beautiful baby in the world, she would declare, but Ser Arthur would probably argue in favor of his niece if she did. She had not come to his office to argue with him.

Why _did_ she come? Lyanna wasn’t sure. All she had known was that she had to, to thank him, to gauge his reaction to her, to... _To what?_

“Ser Benjen said he looked like you,” Ser Arthur said.

“He has the Stark look,” she confirmed. There was no trace of the king in him, so Lyanna’s secret would stay safe. The only people who knew the identity of Jon’s father besides her were Benjen, Ser Arthur, and Lord Connington.

And Rhaegar himself, of course, but there was no reason for him to tell. Jon had been conceived within a month of Elia’s return to Dorne, and it would simply not do for people to get the math wrong and come to unfortunate conclusions about their king’s fidelity.

“You should bring him into the Office sometime. I bet everyone is armed and ready to coo over him.”

“He’s already spoiled enough. Let’s not make it worse.”

Ser Arthur laughed. “We are not the best people in the world,” he said, “but we do have a soft spot for children. Ashara swore upon the Mother that she will never bring her daughter to work again. Says that she’ll rot her teeth before she has any thanks to us. Personally, I blame Ser Barristan.”

"He would be my chief suspect too, ser."

There was a brief silence, and Lyanna wondered why she did not feel uncomfortable. She _should._ Ser Arthur was the one who found her the night Rhaegar revealed his prophecy, his plans for her, and she had wept into his white cloak. He was one of the handful of people who knew her secret, and she _should_ fear him. Yet, it was impossible to do so. She wondered whether this was yet another sign of her poor judgement, but she had no way of knowing until it backfired in her face and she was left pregnant and distraught.

She hoped she wasn't going to end up pregnant again. At least, not until Jon was older.

“You ought to report to Ser Jonothor before he wonders what became of you. I gave you a kind endorsement.”

Lyanna nodded. "A generous one, more like, but don't worry. I don't mean to disappoint Ser Jonothor, and I won't disappoint you again either, ser."

"You weren't the one who disappointed me, Lyanna."

Something about his tone of voice made her flush, and she decided to take her leave. She could talk more to Ser Arthur another time, and maybe then she would know what she wanted to say to him.


End file.
